Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit academic medical center founded in 1864 in Rochester, Minnesota, ranked the #1 hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report for most of the past decade, with NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center status since 1973 across its three campuses (Minnesota, Arizona and Florida), the highest-volume proton therapy practice in the United States, an on-site CAR-T cell therapy biomanufacturing programme, and the world's largest radiopharmaceutical treatment centre.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a private nonprofit academic medical center headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota, with major campuses in Jacksonville, Florida and Phoenix-Scottsdale, Arizona, plus Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London and the Mayo Clinic Health System across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. The institution traces its origins to William Worrall Mayo settling in Rochester in 1864, with the formal practice growing through his sons Dr. William James Mayo and Dr. Charles Horace Mayo and the founding of Saint Mary's Hospital in 1889 (now part of the Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus, with approximately 1,265 beds). Today Mayo Clinic employs more than 7,300 physicians and scientists and 66,000 additional administrative and allied health staff across its US sites, treats approximately 1.3 million patients per year from more than 130 countries, and spends over $660 million annually on research with 3,000+ full-time research personnel. It is home to the top-ranked Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and many of the most competitive residency programmes in the United States.
Mayo Clinic has been ranked the #1 overall hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report most years since 2016 and has remained at or near the top of the Best Hospitals Honor Roll for more than three decades. It is also routinely ranked #1 on Newsweek's World's Best Hospitals. Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center was one of the first cancer centers in the United States to receive National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Center designation in 1973, and is the only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the country with three integrated locations (Arizona, Florida and Minnesota), an NCCN member institution, and a Lead Academic Participating Site in the NCI National Clinical Trials Network. The cancer centre has 400+ physicians and scientists and treats more than 130,000 cancer patients per year, with five NCI Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grants in breast cancer, hepatobiliary cancer, multiple myeloma and ovarian cancer plus a joint leiomyosarcoma SPORE with the University of Michigan.
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center offers extensive expertise in essentially every cancer type, including rare and complex forms, with particular national leadership in several advanced therapy domains. The Rochester campus treats more people with proton beam therapy than any other practice in the United States and is expanding capacity to treat approximately 900 more patients per year starting in 2027. Mayo Clinic operates the largest radiopharmaceutical treatment centre in the world, located near a key US radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facility focused on addressing isotope shortages and ensuring access to advanced clinical trials. The Mayo Clinic CAR-T Cell Therapy Program is one of a small number of nationally significant CAR-T programmes, with on-site biomanufacturing of CAR-T products at the Rochester campus. Other cancer treatment modalities include hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, stereotactic radiosurgery, high-dose-rate (HDR) and low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy, intraoperative radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), radiofrequency tumour ablation, hyperthermia, robotic and minimally invasive cancer surgery, and immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Mayo Clinic co-developed Cologuard, the DNA stool test now widely used for colorectal cancer screening.
CancerFax works with families considering Mayo Clinic alongside other leading international cancer centres, helping international and Indian patients understand whether Mayo Clinic is the right clinical and financial fit before committing to long-distance travel and US treatment costs. Our coordination service covers preliminary case review and submission to Mayo Clinic's International Appointment Office, US medical visa support documentation, comparative cost estimates against other top cancer centres in the United States, India, China, South Korea, Singapore and the UAE, accredited translation of foreign-language reports, accommodation and travel guidance in Rochester, and an honest conversation about whether Mayo Clinic's typically higher costs are justified by its specific clinical strengths (such as the highest-volume US proton therapy practice, on-site CAR-T biomanufacturing, the world's largest radiopharmaceutical centre, or the multi-specialty integration that Mayo offers for cancer patients with significant comorbidities). CancerFax charges patients nothing for this navigation, regardless of which hospital is ultimately chosen.
| Hospital at a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| City | Rochester, Minnesota (main campus; also Jacksonville FL and Phoenix-Scottsdale AZ) |
| Established | 1864 (Mayo family practice in Rochester; NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center since 1973) |
| Hospital Type | Private Nonprofit Academic Medical Center · Integrated Group Practice · NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center across three US campuses |
| Accreditation | NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center (since 1973) · NCCN Member Institution · #1 US News Best Hospitals Honor Roll most years since 2016 · Routinely #1 on Newsweek World's Best Hospitals · US News #4 in Cancer (2025-26) |
| Beds | Approximately 1,265 beds at Mayo Clinic Hospital Saint Marys Campus, plus Methodist Campus and Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital in Rochester |
| Annual Patient Activity | Approximately 1.3 million patients per year from more than 130 countries across all Mayo Clinic locations; over 130,000 cancer patients per year at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center |
| Research Focus | Cancer (5 NCI SPOREs: breast, hepatobiliary, multiple myeloma, ovarian, leiomyosarcoma), proton therapy, CAR-T cell therapy, radiopharmaceuticals, Cologuard colorectal screening, hereditary cancer genetics, personalized medicine |
Why Patients Choose Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is one of the small number of US academic medical centres with NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center designation and is the only such centre with three integrated US locations. Its distinguishing strengths include the highest-volume US proton therapy practice, the world's largest radiopharmaceutical treatment centre, on-site CAR T-cell biomanufacturing, and an integrated multi-specialty model designed for complex patients with comorbidities.
Cancer Specialties and Clinical Departments
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center provides expert care across essentially every cancer type at three integrated NCI-designated US locations, with particular national leadership in proton therapy, radiopharmaceuticals, CAR T-cell therapy and the cancer disease areas covered by its five NCI SPORE grants.
Advanced Treatment Capabilities
Key Specialists at Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic employs more than 7,300 physicians and scientists across its three major US campuses, with approximately 4,700 specialists in Rochester alone, organised under the institution's integrated group-practice model where physicians work in coordinated teams across specialties rather than as independent practitioners. The Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Rochester is consistently ranked among the top 15 US medical schools, and the institution operates many of the most competitive residency and fellowship programmes in American academic medicine. Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is led by 400+ dedicated cancer physicians and scientists across its three sites, organised across 10 cancer research divisions and aligned with NCI national programmes.
Mayo Clinic's clinical departments are organised around the institution's destination-medicine philosophy: international patients are typically evaluated by an MDT across surgical, medical and radiation oncology, supported by sub-specialised pathology, radiology, nuclear medicine and laboratory medicine, within a single compressed visit rather than across multiple separate appointments. For patients with significant cardiac, neurological, transplant or other comorbidities alongside their cancer diagnosis, Mayo's integrated multi-specialty model adds substantial value. Patients seeking a specific physician consultation or a focused multidisciplinary second opinion can submit their request through CancerFax. We work with Mayo Clinic's International Appointment Office to match each case to the appropriate campus (Minnesota, Arizona or Florida) and department before any travel is committed, and we will tell you openly if a different cancer centre would serve your case equally well at materially lower cost.
Patients seeking specific physician consultations or second opinions may request a review through the CancerFax coordination process before confirming travel or admission.
Clinical Infrastructure and Treatment Technology
Mayo Clinic's main Rochester campus integrates the Mayo Clinic Hospital Saint Marys and Methodist campuses with the Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital, an on-site CAR-T biomanufacturing facility, the largest US proton therapy practice and the world's largest radiopharmaceutical treatment centre, supported by extensive research and clinical trial infrastructure.
- Largest proton beam therapy practice in the United States, with capacity expansion to add approximately 900 more patients per year starting in 2027
- Advanced photon radiotherapy including IMRT, IGRT, VMAT, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS and SBRT), HDR and LDR brachytherapy and intraoperative radiation therapy
- World's largest radiopharmaceutical treatment centre, located near a key US radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facility for advanced clinical trial access
- Mayo Clinic CAR-T Cell Therapy Program with on-site biomanufacturing of CAR-T products at the Rochester campus
- Comprehensive hematopoietic stem cell transplantation programme alongside CAR-T
- Hundreds of open cancer clinical trials including phase 1 first-in-human studies, with Mayo as a Lead Academic Participating Site in the NCI National Clinical Trials Network
- Multi-disciplinary surgical oncology across thoracic, GI, hepatobiliary, breast, gynecologic, urologic, head and neck, sarcoma and pediatric specialties
- Robotic and minimally invasive cancer surgery alongside complex open oncologic surgery
- Specialised surgical programmes including cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC for peritoneal carcinomatosis and mesothelioma
- Five NCI Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grants in breast, hepatobiliary, multiple myeloma, ovarian and (joint with University of Michigan) leiomyosarcoma
- Comprehensive hereditary cancer genetic testing including extensive research on non-BRCA inherited breast cancer genes
- Cologuard colorectal cancer screening test co-developed by Mayo Clinic and Exact Sciences, now recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force
International Patient Support at Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic operates one of the most established international patient programmes in the United States, with approximately 20 representative offices around the world (staff who live in the country they serve and speak the local language), a dedicated International Appointment Office in Rochester, free interpreter services, and visa documentation support. Mayo Clinic receives patients from more than 130 countries annually.
What to Prepare Before Traveling
- arrow_rightShare complete pathology reports, biopsy slides where requested for Mayo's specialist pathology review, recent imaging (CT, PET-CT, MRI), molecular profiling, prior treatment summaries and a current medication list (in English where possible) with Mayo Clinic's International Appointment Office at least two to three weeks before your planned consultation date. Mayo Clinic only offers in-person medical appointments to international patients (no remote care), so the visit must be planned around travel.
- arrow_rightApply for a US Medical (B-2) visitor visa at the US embassy or consulate in your country. Mayo Clinic can provide an official medical letter for the patient and accompanying family members; visa interview wait times in many countries are significant, so plan well ahead. Mayo Clinic representatives can explain the visa process but cannot directly assist with the visa application itself.
- arrow_rightPlan travel via Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP, approximately 90 minutes by car or shuttle to Rochester) or directly into Rochester International Airport (RST, regional connections, approximately 15 minutes from campus). Plan for a stay of at least one to several weeks for evaluation and initial treatment, with longer stays needed for surgery, BMT, CAR-T or extended radiotherapy. Mayo Clinic's concierge service can advise on lodging in Rochester.
Mayo Clinic's International Appointment Office can be reached at [email protected] or +1 507-738-4021 (Monday-Friday 06:00-20:00 US Central Time). Patients in supported regions may also access nearly 20 Mayo Clinic Representative Offices around the world, including authorized offices in China and Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London. CancerFax coordinates all communication on the patient's behalf, including pre-travel record submission, translation, visa documentation, transparent comparison against alternative top cancer centres, and remains the single point of contact through evaluation, treatment and follow-up at no cost to you.
Patient Facilities and Accommodation at Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus combines acute hospital care across the Saint Marys, Methodist and Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital campuses with an integrated outpatient infrastructure linked to downtown Rochester hotels by a heated pedestrian skyway system, on-site dining and pharmacy services and free interpreter and concierge services for international patients.
Family members accompanying international patients typically stay at hotels in central Rochester within walking distance or short shuttle of the Mayo Clinic main campus, with many connected via Mayo's pedestrian skyway system (particularly useful in Minnesota winters). Mayo Clinic's concierge service can advise on extended-stay arrangements for longer treatment journeys, and CancerFax can help plan budget-conscious options for families on extended trips.
How to Reach Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Mayo Clinic's main campus is in downtown Rochester, Minnesota, a small city in southeast Minnesota built largely around the Mayo medical complex. The campus is accessible from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport via car, shuttle or regional flights, and via Rochester International Airport for regional and select national connections.
How CancerFax Helps
CancerFax is a specialist cancer access and patient-navigation platform. We help patients and families understand their options, organise medical records, coordinate hospital communication, and support cross-border treatment planning where appropriate.
We help collect and organise reports, scans, pathology, biomarker results, and treatment history for structured case review.
We communicate with hospitals or trial teams to assess whether a case may be suitable for further screening.
We support appointment coordination, document submission, translation, and direct communication with international departments.
For international patients, we help with practical coordination — travel planning, hospital admission guidance, and local support.
If this option is not suitable, we help explore other relevant treatments, clinical trials, or advanced care pathways.
From inquiry through to follow-up, our coordinators provide a single point of contact for the family.
CancerFax does not guarantee treatment access, eligibility, or clinical outcome. Our role is to help patients access accurate information, structured review, and appropriate specialist pathways.
Mayo Clinic — Patient Questions Answered
CancerFax acts as your dedicated coordinator for the entire Mayo Clinic journey. You begin by sharing your medical records, including pathology reports, biopsy slides where available, scans and prior treatment summaries through our secure intake. Our clinical team reviews your case and identifies whether Mayo Clinic is the right clinical and financial fit for your diagnosis, taking into account US-level treatment costs compared with high-quality alternatives in India, China, South Korea, Singapore and the UAE, and identifies the most appropriate Mayo campus (Minnesota, Arizona or Florida) and clinical department for your specific cancer. We then submit your case to Mayo Clinic's International Appointment Office and work with their team to secure the right consultation or comprehensive evaluation visit.
Once your appointment is confirmed, CancerFax prepares your full pre-travel pack: cost estimates from Mayo Clinic (shared with you without any CancerFax mark-up), US Medical (B-2) visa support documentation, accredited translation of your home-country reports, guidance on Rochester accommodation and the pedestrian skyway system, and a clear plan for the typically longer evaluation timelines that come with US-based academic medical care. Note that Mayo Clinic only offers in-person medical appointments to international patients (not remote consultations), so we plan the visit accordingly. We remain your single point of contact through admission, treatment and follow-up, and we will tell you honestly if a different centre would serve your case equally well at materially lower cost. There is no fee to the patient for any of this coordination.
Mayo Clinic is one of the small number of US academic medical centres with NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center designation and treats more than 130,000 cancer patients per year across virtually every cancer type, including rare and complex forms. Particular nationally and internationally recognised strengths include hematologic malignancies (multiple myeloma is an NCI SPORE focus), breast cancer (NCI SPORE), hepatobiliary cancers (NCI SPORE in liver and bile duct cancers), ovarian cancer (NCI SPORE), pancreatic cancer, sarcomas (joint leiomyosarcoma SPORE with the University of Michigan), pediatric oncology through Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital, and several advanced therapy capabilities where Mayo holds national or global leadership: it is the largest US proton beam therapy practice, operates the world's largest radiopharmaceutical treatment centre, and has one of the few significant CAR T-cell therapy programmes with on-site biomanufacturing. If you are unsure whether Mayo Clinic is the right fit for your specific diagnosis, share your records through CancerFax and we will assess departmental fit and likely cost before any travel commitment.
Yes, and Mayo Clinic has genuine national leadership in all three. The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota treats more people with proton beam therapy than any other practice in the United States and is expanding capacity to add approximately 900 more patients per year starting in 2027. The Mayo Clinic CAR-T Cell Therapy Program is one of a small number of nationally significant CAR-T programmes, with on-site biomanufacturing of CAR-T products at the Rochester campus, supporting both FDA-approved indications and active investigational protocols. The institution operates the world's largest radiopharmaceutical treatment centre, with particular activity in lutetium-177 DOTATATE for neuroendocrine tumours, lutetium-177 PSMA-617 for metastatic prostate cancer, and emerging investigational radiopharmaceutical therapies. Mayo is one of the Lead Academic Participating Sites in the NCI National Clinical Trials Network and runs hundreds of open cancer clinical trials including phase 1 first-in-human studies. CancerFax submits your records to the appropriate Mayo Clinic clinical trials office to confirm whether a specific protocol matches your case.
Mayo Clinic's policy is to offer only in-person medical appointments to international patients, so a formal remote second opinion from Mayo physicians is not available in the same way as it is at some other US cancer centres such as MD Anderson. However, your CancerFax review will include a clear assessment of whether your case is likely to benefit from a Mayo Clinic evaluation (particularly for proton therapy, radiopharmaceutical, CAR-T or sub-specialty hepatobiliary, multiple myeloma or sarcoma cases), and we can also help arrange a documented remote second opinion at peer US cancer institutions where remote opinions are offered, or at leading international cancer centres in India, China, South Korea or Singapore at materially lower cost as a parallel reference. Given typical US visa interview wait times in many countries, this kind of pre-travel comparative review is often the most useful first step before committing to travel to Rochester.
Treatment at Mayo Clinic is meaningfully more expensive than at high-quality cancer centres in India, China, South Korea, Singapore or the UAE, often by a factor of three to ten depending on the procedure, reflecting US healthcare pricing rather than any difference in clinical capability at most centres of excellence. Mayo Clinic accepts many US insurance plans and, for international patients, typically requires a substantial deposit before treatment begins along with detailed pre-treatment cost estimates issued by Mayo Clinic's financial counseling team. CancerFax shares Mayo Clinic's official cost estimates with you at no extra charge and without any CancerFax mark-up. We will also openly compare those estimates with comparable treatment plans at other leading international cancer centres, so the decision about where to receive treatment is grounded in clinical fit and realistic affordability rather than brand alone. If you have international health insurance, we can advise on which procedures and plans are commonly approved for Mayo Clinic treatment, including UAE government sponsorship pathways (Mayo Clinic holds a 25% stake in a 741-bed SEHA-affiliated hospital in Abu Dhabi).
Send Your Medical Reports to Mayo Clinic via CancerFax
CancerFax reviews your records, identifies the right Mayo Clinic campus and department for your specific cancer, and coordinates your consultation in Rochester (or Jacksonville or Phoenix-Scottsdale where appropriate), at no cost, with no obligation, and with full medical confidentiality throughout.